


Second Chances

by krisrussel



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-06
Updated: 2013-03-06
Packaged: 2017-12-04 11:38:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/710383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krisrussel/pseuds/krisrussel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Unexpected visitors land in Atlantis.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Second Chances

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Sparky advent calendar Dec 17th. I know it’s supposed to be Christmasy themed, but Christmas is really only a side note in this. I hope the rest of the story makes up for that.   
> This takes place after ‘Ghost in the Machine’. It’s been awhile since I’ve watched s5 though, so I’m sorry if not everything seems correct.   
> Also, this has not been checked by a beta, so all mistakes are my own.

John looked out over the gateroom and his stomach clenched. This was yet another Christmas they celebrated without Elizabeth and it still felt wrong that she wasn’t here. The Christmas decorations seemed to be mocking him. Clenching his fists, he walked away. She had made him want to celebrate Christmas again, but that feeling had vanished right along with her.  
Richard Woolsey looked at his retreating figure with worry in his eyes.  
“Do you think he’ll ever be the same again?” He asked Teyla who was sitting opposite his desk and was watching him too.  
“Never,” Teyla told him honestly. “You’ll never be the same after you lose someone you care about deeply.”  
“Let me put it differently. Do you think he’ll ever get over it?”  
“Yes. But he will never forget. He blames himself and no matter what we tell him, he will never stop blaming himself.”  
“And he blames me for taking her place.”  
Teyla shook her head. “He does not. He knows you are only following orders and if it is not you who is sitting in that chair, it will be someone else.”  
Richard sighed. “I don’t think Atlantis will ever stop being Dr. Weir’s city. No matter how many years pass.”  
“She was our driving force. A voice of reason. A bridge between the scientists and the soldiers. We will never forget her.”  
“I would never expect you to.” For a moment he stayed quiet. “He will never accept her death, will he?”  
She shook her head. “He will not.”

A few days later, during the night shift, Lorne yawned and lounged a bit more in his chair in the control room. It earned him a couple of amused looks from the rest of the night shift. Only one team was due back from an allied planet around 3am, so the atmosphere in the control room was relaxed.  
But at 1.36am, that all changed. Out of the blue the gate activated. Lorne shot out of his chair and ran down the stairs where he was met by his men.  
“Sir,” the gate technician on duty shouted. “It’s Doctor McKay’s IDC.”  
Lorne gave him a strange look. “Doctor McKay is sound asleep in his bed. This has to be a fake.”  
“It’s his IDC, sir,” the technician confirmed. “And it’s accompanied by a morse code SOS signal. The connection is also very wavery and could collapse any second.”  
“Lower the shield,” Lorne turned to his men. “Whatever comes through that gate... be prepared.”  
The soldiers nodded and took defensive positions around the gate.  
A few seconds later, all hell broke loose. The first thing that came through was weapon’s fire. One of Lorne’s men went down almost instantly and the rest took refuge close to the floor but never took their weapons off the gate.  
Lorne cursed and wanted the shield back up. But a morse code SOS was a sign that this was of human origin. Whoever it was, they needed safe passage.  
“Marks,” he shouted to the technician. “Send a message through that we’ll give them one more minute.”  
What followed next was an explosion that made the gate and the connection shudder and Lorne couldn’t help but wonder what was going on at the other end. A second later a figure ran through and Lorne shouted to get the shield back up while keeping his gun trained on the visitor. When the visitor raised her head and he saw what she was carrying in her arms, his mouth fell open and he automatically reached for his earpiece.  
“Colonel Sheppard, Mr. Woolsey, you’re both needed in the gateroom. NOW.” Then he realized he probably should call Rodney and Jennifer out of their beds too.

John groaned as he heard Lorne’s urgent voice coming from the earpiece on his nightstand. He rubbed his eyes and put the blasted thing in his ear.  
“What it is, Major?”  
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, sir. Just get to the gateroom. Now.”  
“Be right there.”  
John yawned and got out of bed. Not bothering with the bathroom, he quickly shot in his gear and made his way to the gateroom. He got there before Woolsey and made a straight beeline to the group of soldiers that had their guns trained on someone who was standing in front of the gate.  
Walking through the wall of soldiers, he froze in his steps. This couldn’t be.  
“John?” Her voice sounded surprised and hopeful. To everyone’s surprise tears appeared in her eyes. “Rodney did it,” she clutched the bundle in her arms close to her body and silently sobbed. “He did it.”  
“Elizabeth?” John said in pure disbelief.  
She looked back up at him, tears were streaming down her face yet she was smiling. “He saved us, John. Rodney saved us. They all did.”  
That was the moment Woolsey made his way through the wall of soldiers and stopped in his tracks when he saw her. Barely a few seconds later Rodney and Jennifer were standing next to him, all three stared and gaped.  
When she saw Rodney, her smile widened and more tears appeared in her eyes. She tried to take a step closer but all the soldiers readied their guns and Rodney, Woolsey and Jennifer took a step back. She seemed to be taken aback and hurt by their actions and something in John’s gut twitched. He automatically took a step closer to her.  
“They told us you died,” he said. “We believed them.”  
Realization dawned on her. “I’m not your Elizabeth, John. I’m from a parallel dimension.”  
He shook his head and only then noticed the bundle in her arms. “Are you carrying a baby?”  
She nodded and carefully unwrapped the bundle. A peacefully sleeping baby of barely a few months old was revealed. He seemed to be totally unaware of everything that was happening around him.  
“Is he yours?”  
Elizabeth nodded and wanted to say more, but Woolsey cut in.  
“Dr. Weir, I’m sure you’ll understand that before we continue this conversation I need you to be checked for weapons and I need my medical staff to take a look at you and that baby. And I want Dr. McKay to take a look at the gate data to confirm your parallel dimension claim.”  
“Of course,” she followed Jennifer out of the gateroom while half of the soldiers walked besides her.  
“Colonel, are you alright?” Woolsey asked John, who was staring at the retreating group.  
“Yeah... How can it be her?”  
“The universe is a strange and amazing place, Colonel. Do you want to join me to the infirmary?”  
John nodded and followed Woolsey while trying to clear the haze in his brain. It couldn’t really be her, could it?

“It’s her.” Jennifer confirmed a while later. “I’ve done all the test and double and triple checked them. It is Elizabeth Weir. And what makes me believe her story is that she doesn’t have a single trace of nanites inside of her.”  
“Not a single nanite?” John asked surprised.  
“None at all. There is no sign that she was ever infected to begin with. All tests conclude that this is Elizabeth Weir, just not our Elizabeth.”  
“And the baby?” Woolsey asked.  
“Hers. I checked his DNA and there’s no question about it. He is her son.”  
“Did she tell you anything?”  
Jennifer shook her head. “She told me she only wants to relive what happened once.”  
“Alright,” Woolsey said. “We’ll hold a meeting at 7am. Colonel, I expect you, your team and Major Lorne to be present.”  
John nodded. “We’ll be there.”  
“Good. Keep security by her side at all times. Meanwhile I’m going to check up with Dr. McKay to see if he has progress on his investigation of the gate data.”  
Woolsey walked out and John turned to Jennifer. “Do you think I can... Should I... Could I...”  
She gave him a soft, understanding smile. She would never forget the look on his face when she told him the news about Elizabeth’s condition after the Assuran attack on Atlantis. He looked so heartbroken and lost. It was good to see the small trace of hope on his face right now. “I’ll ask her.”  
She returned a minute later and kept the door open for him. “Not too long though. They both need some rest.”  
He nodded and took a deep breath before entering the private room.  
“John.”   
The smile on her face made his heart leap and he couldn’t help but smile too.  
“How are you?”  
“I’m good, considering.”  
He nodded. “I want to know everything that happened, but I respect your wish and I’ll wait until the meeting. Woolsey has it set for 7am, by the way.”  
“What... what happened to this Elizabeth?” The look on his face nearly broke her heart.  
John wiped a hand over his face and sighed. “The Assurans attacked the city. It’s a long story.”  
“Assurans?”  
“Replicators?”  
“I read about them in the SG1 mission logs. We never met them in the Pegasus galaxy.”  
“You never met the Assurans?”  
Elizabeth shook her head and John’s head swam with all the possibilities. How things would have been different... so very different.  
At that moment the baby started fussing a bit and John walked over to its crib.  
“How old is he?”  
“Four months,” she said and he could hear the pride in her voice.  
“What’s his name?”  
“Nick... Nick Sheppard.”  
He turned to her with wide eyes and unbelief written all over his face. “What?”  
She slowly lifted her left hand and when his eyes caught the glint of the golden wedding band, his mouth fell open.  
“My John and I... we were married. We married a year and a half ago. And Nick is our son.”  
At that revelation John sat down heavily on the chair closest to him. “We were married?”  
Elizabeth nodded. “Happiest time of my life.”  
“What happened to him?”  
Her face clouded. “He got killed during a mission right before our son was born.”  
John looked at the crib again. “I’m sorry.”  
“We both knew the consequences of life in Atlantis. Whenever he left on a mission, a part of me always knew there was a chance I would never see him again. It doesn’t prepare you. Not at all. But it makes you appreciate what you have more. We never went a single day in our relationship without saying ‘I love you’ at least once.”  
It was strange for him to hear her speak so openly about her feelings for, well, basically him. And it made him regret the way he had refused to face his own feelings towards his Elizabeth.  
She yawned and he stood up, still reeling from everything she had told him. “I’ll let you get some sleep and I’ll see you at the meeting.”  
“Thank you, John.”  
He gave her a single nod and walked out of the room.

“So, Doctor Weir. You have our attention,” Woolsey said.  
Elizabeth looked around the table, slowly absorbing all the faces that looked at her expectantly. Some she had last seen so long ago, others had died in the last few days and a few had given their lives to save her son and herself. She knew they weren’t the same people, but they looked and acted so very much the same.  
She took a deep breath and started her story: “It all started about a week ago. Even though we tried everything we could to keep the existence and the location of Atlantis a secret, the Wraith found us and started an all-scale attack. We were able to send some people through the gate to safety before they managed to block it with an incoming signal. We managed to fight them off for a couple of days, but once they got a foothold in the city we knew we were doomed. With the few people that were left, we set up a fortified base in the control tower. Rodney tried everything he could to counter their signal that blocked our gate. He finally managed to break their connection and he dialed to a planet.” She took another deep breath and tried to fight her tears. “The Wraith seemed to realize what happened and they send everything they got at our barricades. The control tower was shaking from all the explosions and gunfire. Rodney told me to get through the gate when he noticed the connection wasn’t a normal one. He warned me about that, but he also said there was no time to dial again. That was the moment the Wraith broke through our defenses and got inside the gate room. Lorne... he was up in the control room with Rodney, started fighting them with the three other soldiers that were left. They didn’t last long. Rodney yelled to me to run through before they shot him. Last I heard was that the self destruct was activated right before I ran through the gate.” Thick tears were slowly making their way down her face. Everyone around the table was silent. They all realized the horror she had lived through. They knew perfectly well how it was to lose a friend, but to lose nearly everyone you care about. It was too horrible to imagine.  
“I’m sorry, Doctor Weir,” Woolsey said. “But I hope you and your son can make a home here.”  
She nodded her thanks. “What about the SGC? Won’t they demand I return to Earth for a de-briefing?”  
“I’m sure we can hold them at bay if we send a thorough enough report.”  
“Thank you,” a slight smile marred her features because she knew these people would be good to her, but then her face clouded again. “This is a really... selfish question... but are you positive your Elizabeth isn’t alive anymore.” She didn’t dare look at John.  
They all knew why she asked that question. She apparently knew what would happen to her if this Elizabeth was still alive.  
“Not 100%,” Woolsey said honestly.  
“We’ll know for sure soon enough,” John said darkly and stood up, walking towards the exit.  
“Colonel!” Woolsey barked. “This meeting isn’t over yet.”  
“It is for me,” John growled and walked out without looking back.  
Woolsey looked at Elizabeth and sighed. “I’m sorry, the loss of our Doctor Weir has hit him very hard.”  
“I know what he went through,” Elizabeth said, thinking about the moment Lorne had walked into her office and told her about John getting killed during the mission. If it hadn’t been for Nick who was barely a month away from getting born, she wasn’t sure how she would have reacted to the news. John had been her life, her best friend, the one person she had shared everything with and trusted without a doubt.  
“I’m sorry, mister Woolsey, but I’d like to return to my son.”  
“Of course. Thank you for sharing your story with us.”  
As Elizabeth walked out of the room, Teyla turned to Woolsey. “I will go talk to Colonel Sheppard.”  
“Good idea. I know this must be difficult for him but I need to know I can still depend on him as my CO.”  
“I know you still can,” Teyla assured him and walked out too.  
Then Rodney turned to Woolsey. “I’m gonna... talk to Elizabeth.”  
“Of course,” Woolsey agreed and watched as Rodney stood up and left the room.  
“I guess the meeting is over,” Woolsey said to the few people that were left and got up too.

“John?” Teyla asked as she found him sitting on a bench on a balcony at the south tower.  
“I don’t need your pep talk, Teyla. I just need to be alone.”  
“I think the contrary is true,” she said and sat down next to him.  
“How would you know what I think?”  
“Because we have been working side by side for over four years and I know you. I know Elizabeth was much more to you than just a good friend.”  
“She wasn’t.”  
“Please, just listen to me, John.”  
He scoffed a bit but stayed quiet so she continued.  
“You may never have faced your feelings for her, but it was clear in your eyes whenever you looked at her. It was clear by the way she looked at you that she felt the same.”  
He grinded his teeth, but she continued without wavering.  
“The fact that Elizabeth is back now, but she isn’t quite the same Elizabeth, must be so very difficult for you. And I can only imagine what it must be like to know that if she stays alive that you will know for certain that our Elizabeth is truly gone. But you should not see it negatively, John. You should see it as a way to get closure. If this Elizabeth had never shown up, you never would have known what happened to our Elizabeth. Now you will be certain and you will get closure.”  
“What if she’s still alive?”  
“Then you will know that for certain too in a couple of days. As will Woolsey and Stargate Command. Maybe then they won’t be so hesitant anymore to mount a rescue mission into Assuran territory.”  
Her logic made total sense and in a way he felt relieved, but there was still something that didn’t feel quite right.  
“I can’t... I just can’t let myself get close to this Elizabeth. Not until... I’m sure. I can’t lose her again, Teyla. I just can’t.”  
“I think she will understand that.”  
He slightly smiled. “I think she feels the same about getting close to me.”  
She frowned but then smiled when realization dawned. “I saw her wedding ring.”  
“We... well, her John and she were married.”  
“And the baby...”  
“Theirs.”  
“So sort of yours.”  
“Don’t start, Teyla.”  
She smiled broadly as she felt how the mood had shifted. “She will understand whatever you decide because she went through the same.”  
He nodded. “Thanks, Teyla.”  
“You are welcome.” She got up and walked to the door, but before she went through it, she turned back to him, “you know where to find me if you are ever in need of a pep talk.”  
He laughed while she walked back inside.

Elizabeth looked around her new quarters. She had been told that they were only temporary. If she survived the time period in which the entropic cascade failure should take place, she would be assigned Elizabeth’s old quarters. Which were basically the same as her own. She sighed. It was all so confusing.  
Walking over to her son’s crib, she peeked in and almost cried with relief. No matter what happened, at least he would be safe.  
The chime of her doorbell broke her out of her thoughts and she called out an ‘enter’.  
“Rodney,” she smiled broadly and almost walked over to hug him. But she held back, knowing that even if it was her Rodney, he would find it extremely awkward.  
“Elizabeth,” he said in a way that already sounded awkward. “So, that’s your son.”  
She nodded. “This is Nick.”  
Rodney walked closer to the crib and smiled when he saw the little tyke, but then he turned serious again and faced her. “Look, Sheppard... he took your death... your double’s death that is, very hard. Just don’t... don’t get too close to him... not when there’s still a chance that you... that you’ll... you’ll...”  
“I won’t,” she interjected. “Trust me, I know what he’s been through and I don’t want him to live through that again.”  
Rodney seemed to visibly relax, then suddenly his eyes widened. “You’re wearing a wedding ring.”  
She smiled a bit at his flabbergasted face.  
“Who was...?” But she didn’t need to answer him. “Sheppard.”  
She nodded.  
“I’m sorry.”  
“Don’t be. He died on a mission right before Nick was born.”  
“That’s why you said you know what he went through.”  
She nodded. “When I lost John... if it hadn’t been for Nick... I don’t know what would have happened.”  
“Sheppard threw himself on his work. For a while he lost his relaxed spirit and that scared a lot of people.”  
“I think we can both be grateful for the amazing friends we have made here.”  
Rodney smiled slightly. “Well, I’ll leave you to it.”  
“Thank you.”  
He gave her a single nod and then walked out.

A week passed, two weeks passed, three weeks passed, a month passed. All the time John and Elizabeth avoided each other as much as they possibly could. And all the time everybody was walking on eggshells around the two. They were afraid they would lose Elizabeth again and they weren’t sure how John would react to this Elizabeth living or dying. John did spend time with Nick though, he knew that if Elizabeth would pass away, Nick would become his responsibility. He wanted to take care of the little kid, his son. He wanted his son in his live. Usually Elizabeth dropped him off on friday afternoon and John would bring him back to her on sunday evening. It felt like they were divorced and John didn’t like that one bit, but he didn’t dare propose anything else. The fear of losing her again was just too big.  
Elizabeth had spent most of her days with Nick or with helping the science teams do Ancient translations. That was still her forte and at least it made her feel a bit useful. She knew she would probably never be Atlantis’ leader again and in a way she was okay with that. She had time with her son and she lived in the only place she wanted to grow old in. The only thing missing was the man she loved, but she didn’t dare ask more of him, she didn’t want to hurt him.

Two months had passed since she came to Atlantis and both Jennifer and Woolsey had just given her permission to move to her own quarters. ‘Her’ old quarters. It was still amazing how much this world resembled her own and very slowly she started seeing the two as one. With one big difference: she and John barely spoke to each other. He was now certain his Elizabeth was gone and he needed some time to process that.

“What are you scared of, man?” John looked up from his punching bag and gave Ronon a questioning look.  
“Why are you barely talking to Weir?” Ronon clarified.  
John’s face fell and he turned back to beating the bag.  
“She’s been here for nearly six months. If whatever should have happened to her didn’t happen, you have your answer. What are you scared of?”  
John sighed, “if I... if I die on a mission, she’ll have to go through that loss again. I don’t want to do that to her.”  
“Don’t you think that’s up to her to decide?”  
John knew Ronon was right, he just wasn’t sure he was ready for it.  
“Sheppard, you got a second chance. That’s not something many of us get. Grab it with both hands!”  
He saw the sadness in Ronan’s eyes and felt sorry for the big guy. He’d lost his wife so many years ago, but some moments the pain was still clear on his face.  
“I just need time.”  
“Don’t postpone to tomorrow what you can do today.”  
John looked up and saw Ronon walk out of the gym. He never should have bought him that quotes book. But he knew his friend was right, he needed to get his act together.

“Come on in,” Elizabeth said as her chime rang. She turned to her visitor and softly smiled. “Hello, John.”  
“Elizabeth,” he said with a slight nod and then saw Nick by her feet. He was trying to pull himself up on the edge of the coffee table. The sudden proud grin on his face made Elizabeth’s heart pound.  
“He’s been trying to pull himself up for a couple of minutes now. You got here right on time.”  
As Nick finally managed to pull himself up and let go, he fell right back down on the soft carpet. He seemed dazed for a second, not sure what to do. Instead of running up to him and starting to cuddle him, John and Elizabeth both laughed to him.  
“Did Nick fall on his tushie?” Elizabeth asked and smiled broadly.  
“You’ll get there son,” John said and smiled broadly too.  
This made Nick grin and gurgle happily instead of crying. When he realized his dad was in the room too, he put up his arms and gurgled ‘ada’.  
John grinned the exact same crooked grin as his son and picked him up.  
“Figures his first and only word apparently is ‘dadda’.”  
“He’s a smart little guy, just like his ‘dadda’.”  
Elizabeth snorted and John gave her a fake insulted glare. It made them both laugh.  
“He is a bright little man,” Elizabeth said and ruffled Nick’s hair who giggled.  
“Just like his mommy,” John said to his son. “She’s a bright woman though, definitely not a man.”  
Elizabeth laughed and the look John gave her at that moment made her heart nearly stop. It had been so long since she’d seen that look and only now she realized how much she had truly missed it. She almost reached out to touch his face but held back at the last second.  
John swallowed heavily. It was now or never. “Elizabeth, I wonder if you... if maybe you would... would you like to go out for a drink sometimes... with me?”  
“Yes,” she said without hesitation and they both smiled softly.  
“Tonight?”  
“Around seven?”  
“Six and we can have dinner too.”  
She laughed and nodded. “Pick me up here.”  
“Deal.”   
He grinned and she smiled. And for a moment the world seemed perfect. That was until Nick reminded his parents that he was still there by saying something incomprehensible.  
“I’ll ask Teyla to babysit,” John said and Elizabeth nodded her agreement.  
“I will see you at six then.”  
“I’ll be here right on time.”  
“I’m looking forward to it.”  
“So am I.”  
They were openly flirting and it felt so very refreshing and even familiar.  
“I should probably really leave,” John said after a while and put Nick back down on the carpet.  
Elizabeth lead him to the door where they said their goodbyes.

When her chime rang, Elizabeth took a deep breath and Teyla, who was already there, had to smile at the sight. John had talked to her earlier and it had been so long since she had seen him so relaxed and happy. The same went for Elizabeth, ever since she came here, she had been slightly withdrawn and there was a sadness about here, but that was different now. When Teyla had entered her quarters, Elizabeth was cheerful and asked a dozen questions about Kanaan and her last mission while she played with Torren. In all the months that Elizabeth had been here, Teyla had never seen her so relaxed and happy. She was glad her friends had found each other again and that they each got a second chance. If there were two people who deserved it, it was certainly them.  
Elizabeth called John inside and for a second his walk was hesitant as he looked at her. She looked simple, yet so very beautiful. Black pants and a dark green shirt fitted her body perfectly. Her makeup was the absolute minimum and he wouldn’t want it any other way.  
Her eyes roamed over him too. Dark blue jeans and a dark grey t-shirt that slightly showed his muscles. His hair was messy as usual and it made him look very handsome.  
“You look...,” he started, but fell silent.  
She slightly blushed and looked at her feet. “So do you.”  
He grinned a bit and offered her his arm. “Mylady.”  
She laughed and took his arm. “Lead the way, sir.”  
Before they left her quarters, John turned back to Teyla. “Don’t wait up!”  
Teyla heard Elizabeth laugh and it felt good to see both of her friends this happy.

John had went all out and Elizabeth wondered how long he had been preparing this. He had gotten them a private balcony close to the mess hall. A table for two was set with a candle and the closest thing the Pegasus Galaxy had that resembled white roses. The outside temperature was comfortably warm and Elizabeth hadn’t felt this good in a long time.  
“Ma’am, Sir, my name is Evan and I’ll be your waiter tonight.”  
Elizabeth smiled broadly as Lorne walked onto the balcony carrying a tray with two glasses of champagne on it.  
After taking their glasses, John raised his and Elizabeth followed suit.  
“To second chances,” he simply said.  
“To second chances,” she agreed.

It was hours later when they found themselves in front of her door again.  
“I’ve had a wonderful time,” she said as she turned to him.  
“So did I. When are we doing this again?”  
She laughed and her hand landed on his chest. For a moment everything around them seemed to stop and it was only the two of them.  
“Can I... come in... to kiss Nick goodnight?”  
“Nick is with Teyla and Kanaan.”  
He licked his lips and her pupils slightly dilated.   
“Can I... kiss you goodnight.”  
Her nod was barely visible and when their lips touched everything seemed to click into place. For as much as his kiss was the same, it was also different, but she didn’t care. This felt right. So very right. It was like she had found her place in life again. For him this was so much more than he had imagined from his first kiss with Elizabeth. It blew his mind and he knew he wanted this for the rest of his life.  
When the kiss came to its natural end, they lingered close, arms wrapped around each other, seemingly reluctant to let go.  
Another kiss followed and another and another, some long, some short, some mind blowing, all of them amazing.  
“I don’t want to end this night yet,” he softly confessed in her ear.  
“Me neither,” she whispered and both smiled. She took his hand in hers and both walked into her quarters.

“Dadda!” Nick yelled and waggled over to his dad as the latter walked into Elizabeth’s quarters.  
John lifted him up and said “puddlejumper flight” and twirled his son around, high above his head. The toddler screeched in happiness.  
Elizabeth stood in the kitchen doorway and watched the scene with tenderness on her face. In the almost six months they had been dating, John had become an integral part of her family. If it wasn’t for his nearly empty quarters, you could be saying that they officially lived together. The only nights that he didn’t spend in her bed, was when he was on a mission. It was at that moment that she made a decision.  
“John, I know what I want for Christmas.”  
He put Nick down, walked over to her, wrapped his arms around her and softly kissed her.  
“Well, Christmas is next week, hopefully I can still get it on time. What do you want?”  
“You.”  
He gave her an amused look. “Honey, you already have me.”  
She smiled at the ease of his confession. “I know I do.” There was something seductive in her voice and it made him swallow... hard. “What I meant was: move in here with us. Officially.”  
For a moment he was silent and then he smiled. “As you wish.”  
She knew the hidden meaning behind it and kissed him hard and deep. “I love you too.”  
He grinned. “But you haven’t heard what I want for Christmas yet.”  
“What do you want?”  
“You.”  
She laughed, but then her face fell when John sat down on one knee and produced a small black velvet box from his pocket.  
“You made me believe in second chances, Elizabeth Weir and I will love you and our son until the day I die. And I hope that day is very very far into the future. But until then, I want to spent every possible second with you by my side. Marry me, please.”  
“Of course I’ll marry you, you adorable man.”  
“Adorable? I don’t think anyone has ever called me that,” he said while getting up and gently placing the ring around her finger.  
“Well, I’m the only person allowed to call you adorable.”  
“True that,” he grinned and kissed her tenderly. “Best Christmas ever.”  
“True that,” she agreed and deepened the kiss.

The end


End file.
